In order to encourage cooking as a communal couple effort, my wife and I have decided to split the kitchen up into two aesthetics–the more traditionally feminine look with girly cushions and curtains and the more masculine style with sleek blacks and contemporary height. Somehow, we were able to make it all look cohesive and not some hodge-podge of kitchen fixtures.

Although I’m not saying that there are designated gender associations for certain features of your kitchen, there is a kind of look that my wife finds she likes and one that I myself am more attracted to. She has a predilection for things that look soft while I prefer a no-nonsense, steely complexion. That’s why it was only natural for us to get a stainless steel kitchen island. My wife already had her choice of kitchen cabinetry, which have a dark cherry finish, so I felt that a stainless steel kitchen island would not only satisfy my desire for the polished but it would also complement her cabinets.

Another reason I wanted the stainless steel kitchen island was because it is dependable in almost every way. Not only is it versatile in terms of design, color, and size; it also makes cleaning up a cinch. Dirt and stains don’t adhere easily to the surface of a stainless steel kitchen, so minimal scrubbing is required.

Even though I chose it as the main option for my manly kitchen island furniture, it can really be enjoyed by both parties. My wife loves it because it’s low-maintenance (just like she prefers her men) and I like it for the reasons I named above. Also, because I just look so cool preparing food behind it.

As a city girl–born and bred–I have always had a curiosity with things that were not so urban and steely. For me, I think the appeal of a country kitchen theme has to do with a certain pastoral effortlessness and sense of community associated with the old fashioned wood dining room table. Although I didn’t really have the funds to completely redo my whole kitchen, I did have enough to install a country kitchen island. You’ll be amazed at how much a whole room can change with the addition of one handy fixture. In this case, country kitchen islands provide that much needed kitchen facelift.

When creating my ideal country kitchen, I wanted an island that was sturdy and something that also reflected the rural decor. Butcher block top kitchen islands are perfect reminders of the country farmhouse and with the quality of butcher block kitchen islands available today, I was able to keep both ideas of function and style. Country kitchen islands or wooden work stations tend to have warm colors which you can reproduce with yellow counter top tiles and a wooden facade. They also have vintage-looking cupboards and cabinets. Space is something that cannot be sacrificed no matter what the aesthetic. Country kitchen islands helped me achieve all I’ve ever wanted in a country-inspired kitchen.

If you want the extra bells and whistles on your kitchen island, it is entirely possible to make it happen. I know that when I made my custom kitchen island, it was much easier than I had expected. Depending on how you want to change it up, it will take some simple determination and elbow grease. For my custom kitchen island, I decided to add a second sink, a trash compactor, built-in spice rack and additional counterspace.

Adding a second sink is something that is really beneficial for those who have to accomodate larger families or simply cook alot. For my six-person family, the additional sink wasma life saver. I could afford to not do the dishes for one night and still have room to wash the vegetables in. Another feature I decided to add to my custom kitchen island was the trash compactor. I built it so that it was safe and mobile to operate. It compacts all my trash and not only dramatically reduces trash handling costs but also enables me to free up more space. Speaking of granting more space, additional counterspace is a prime feature to consider when wanting to accomplish this goal. My original granite kitchen island only had the most basic amount of room–enough to prepare food on and nothing else. This is why I decided to add more counterspace, which also makes the island bigger in general, so that the kids can do their homework on the countertops when they want. Finally, if you want to give your custom kitchen island that extra touch of class, you can build in a spice rack like I did. As an avid fan of cooking, I have a wide arsenal of spices so the spice rack adds a certain utility to the furniture piece.

My husband recently built us a kitchen stove island that has all the trappings of a regular island with the added bonus of having the stove constructed on it as well. As the resident chef in the home–a job I take rather seriously–a kitchen island with a stove top is something that is ideal.

The purpose of a kitchen island is to offer up more space and to add a sense of openness about the kitchen room. When a stove is added to it, stations are naturally created within the kitchen island. There is counterspace for food preparation and mixing. The stove is a station in itself that is used for all the cooking. The sink is designated for post dinner clean-up. With a stove on your butcher block island, you can perform all of your usual duties in one convenient place. Since everything is in such close proximity, you can just switch from one station to the next in a matter of seconds.

For the person who enjoys to cook, a gas or an electric stove top would suffice perfectly. Even better, you can add an oven directly beneath the stove top so that you bake simultaneously while you cook a dish on top. One thing that my husband and I thought was absolutely necessary if we were to have a kitchen stove island was an overhead hooded vent to remove potential fumes. This kitchen island design is important, because I don’t doubt that the food would produce some good savory smoke, it could also create undesirable moisture that will inevitably collect on your stove and ceiling.

My sister is not one to be held down. Since childhood, she has always been the kid who would run away naked when it was time for the bath. Now, she is making a living as an attorney and living in Chicago by herself with her Terrier. Recently, I went to visit her in her rather comfortable abode and noticed that her kitchen was missing a significant fixure: the free standing kitchen prep center.

When I posed the suggestion of possibly purchasing one, she was put aback. Here is a single woman who lives with her dog and eats out nearly every day at any various neighborhood restaurants. Now someone was asking to her to maybe buy a kitchen island to put in a kitchen she barely used. She said that free standing kitchen islands don’t "suit" her. I told her that I knew as much but that perhaps it would serve her well to learn how to cook and actually make use of the space instead of pretending it was a big closet with a refrigerator. Besides, as I tried to convince her, free standing kitchen islands are symbolic of her independent nature and is something so versatile, it would fit her lifestyle beautifully.

A couple of months afterwards, she came to visit me in California. I had all but forgotten about the kitchen island suggestion but she excitedly told me that she had just bought her very first stainless steel kitchen island on my counsel. Apparently after I left, she decided that I was right and went online to order one that was perfect for the size of her kitchen. With free standing kitchen islands, you wouldn’t be succumbing to any domesticity; you’d be establishing your individuality!

I am a wino; I’ll admit it. My mother once joked that she mixed a tiny bit of red vino in my bottle of milk one day so that it would help me sleep. I doubt more and more that that was a joke, but maybe my love for wine started even before I entered the world. I just may have it coursing through my veins. I used to drink a glass of wine everyday–as doctors advise, of course. I’d also sneak down and take a seat at my stone kitchen island late at night and have a little more red wine. All in moderation! In either case, my love of wine is widely known to my family and friends no matter where it stemmed from.

I have scaled back a bit since then but I have decided that I want to buy a wine rack kitchen island so that I can organize all my good bottles in one handy dandy location. The good thing about kitchen islands is that they’re easily customizable so even if you purchase one that doesn’t include a wine rack, you can just build it in. Since I would rather just buy it all in one package, I’m trying to find kitchen islands that come equipped with them. Going online, I found many different options for a wine rack kitchen island. Some are butcher block, others are stone and some are stainless steel. There are kitchen islands that have wine racks able to hold more than 12 bottles of wine! I’m not sure what kind of material my kitchen island will be but I am sure that I want to have a wine rack that can cradle as many of my bottles as humanly possible. 

I have been working at the corner butcher shop for fourteen years now. As the town-favorite butcher, I love my job. People are always coming up to me to tell me what a fantastic job I’m doing and I tell them that it’s only because I enjoy charcuterie so much. As the owner of the shop, I get to set my own hours and use fun tools and work tables. All the meat we get come from the best places in the world. The variety will make anyone proud. With game meats like venison and boar in addition to the conventional beef and pork, you can

Another really great thing about being a butcher is getting to trim the primal cuts and prepare them for the customer. In the back, we have an excellent butcher block kitchen island where I do all my work. I call it my "artistry table" because I really see butchery as more than just cutting meat and selling it. As a seasoned veteran of the trade, I have to know all about the meat–including how to season and flavor it.

My trusty butcher block wood kitchen island has been there for me throughout the years for me to hone my cold cutting talent. All my competitors have moved onto steel kitchen islands but I believe that my wooden table has a certain degree of natural craftsmanship that encourages me about the nature of my own work. In addition, it’s smooth and sturdy surface is incredibly easy to clean. After I finish cutting, I simply wipe it with a soft cloth that has been dipped in warm water. When all else is gone, I’ll know that I’ll at least have my reliable butcher block kitchen.

Hi, my name is Martha Stalwart, not to be confused with another great craftswoman with a similar sounding name. I’m a guest blogger here at Kitchenislandshop.com. You may recognize me from my weekly column regarding a wide variety of home improvement topics ranging from showers and bathtubs to barstools. I am what they call a "Jack of All Trades" but rest assured–I don’t take that title lightly. I give each project my undying attention in order to produce the best results. Sometimes, I like to play this game where I outdo myself. If I do something better than I did it the first time, I consider it a win.

Today, I am going to write a blog about how to build and spruce up your own kitchen work tables or islands–a "Do It Yourself" project, if you will. I love DIYs because they really teach me alot. I look at furniture pieces that I’m refurbishing as a well of knowledge for me to draw my empty pail into. It’s just delightful to be able to come away knowing something more than when you came into it.

Before you start to build your own kitchen island, make sure that you need it in the first place. Some households can barely fit their bodies into their cramped kitchens, let alone another kitchen fixture. Be realistic about what you’re able to accomodate. Next, decide how big you want your island to be. This will depend on the size of your kitchen. Although you can build your do it yourself kitchen island or butcher block from scratch, most people don’t have the time. Bite your pride and go to a hardware store to purchase an easy kitchen island kit.

Assemble the shelves as the packages instruct and build in the cabinets. After you’re done, lay the counter on top and either glue it into position or, depending on how heavy it is, bolt it in with screws. For example, if you want to get a granite or stone kitchen island top, it is most likely heavier than the conventional countertop. Screw it from the underside to keep it in place. When you finish with the construction of your do it yourself kitchen island, you can paint it the color of your choice. Finish it off with a sturdy veneer. Voila, there you have it: a kitchen island! Do it yourself kitchen islands aren’t so hard now, are they?|

I love this time of year, because it’s a special time when I get to find the perfect presents for my loved ones, decorate the house with all the holiday trimmings and get a Christmas tree, and baking up all sorts of goodies in my kitchen. The kitchen is by far one of my favorite rooms, and to make baking even more fun, I recently added a butcher block from Kitchen Island Shop to my cooking artillery. The butcher block is the perfect helper for my Christmas cookies, and makes the whole process much more fun.

My kitchen doesn’t have a plethora of extra counter space, so my new butcher block makes my life a lot easier. I have more space to work in, instead of feeling overwhelmed or closed in by the lack of space and too much stuff! Since I love cooking and baking, I have a lot of gadgets and tools, but they take up space and probably take up too much of the little counter space I have. My new butcher block kitchen island takes care of this problem easily, and didn’t require any special installation. My new butcher block really opens up my kitchen, and I don’t know how I lived without it for so long.

I recently undertook the task of remodeling my kitchen, because frankly, it was the kitchen that time had forgotten. I had virtually no counter space, and the cabinets looked like they were circa 1966. Although quaint, 40 years later it was time to replace them, and add some counter space to my kitchen! I looked at all kinds of kitchen islands and butcher blocks, but nothing was catching my eye. I had new cabinets put in, so I didn’t really need the extra cabinet space of an installed kitchen island. I really wanted more open floor space in the middle of the kitchen, so I tended more toward the butcher blocks.

And there it was! The perfect thing I was looking for was nestled amongst the kitchen work tables! This piece of kitchen furniture would set off my new kitchen remodeling nicely, and because it was a table it would leave the floor space open. The best part was the butcher block top, so that I could use it for my meal preparations as well as extra counter space. Where did I find this gem? I found it at Kitchen Island Shop, where they have the best deal in town on all kitchen island furniture. I got my new work table as promised, and I didn’t have to pay for sales tax or shipping. What a deal!